1966 – 1 Dollar Loonie Canada

The Canadian one dollar coin from 1966 is a silver dollar made of 80% silver and 20% copper, weighing 23.33 grams with a diameter of 36 mm and a reeded edge. It features the obverse portrait of Queen Elizabeth II wearing a tiara, designed by Arnold Machin, and the reverse design of a voyageur and a First Nations man paddling a canoe, created by Emanuel Hahn. There are two varieties known as “Large Beads” and “Small Beads,” distinguished by the spacing of the beads near the letter “I” in “Regina.” The coin was minted as a business strike, intended for circulation, with 9,912,178 of the large beads variety produced. The coin is non-magnetic and has a mint state value that varies widely depending on condition, with circulated forms typically valued around $31.90 CAD and rare uncirculated small beads varieties reaching several thousand dollars. Melt value is around $35.62 CAD due to its silver content.